New Parent Newsletter
Adam Barnett
Newborn Appearance
Newborn babies have an odd appearance at first sight. Their head will be larger than their body, they may be discolored, and will have blood and other fluids surrounding their body. Also, they may be covered in a layer of fur-like hair and will keep their eyes closed for a while.
Bonding with your infant
Bonding with your baby is crucial. This helps them develop behaviors and skills that they will have for a lifetime. Some techniques to help you and your infant bond would be feeding, playing with your baby, reading, singing, cradling, talking, and even mimicking your baby's noises.
Appropriate toys
Baby's toys can be fun and playful, but also must be appropriate. This means they should be produced with durable materials, have rounded edges, be painted with non-toxic paint, be colorful, and must have tightly constructed parts. Also, if the toy has strings or cords they must be 12" or less. Some appropriate toys would be shape puzzles, push poppers, work benches made for infants, non-breakable mirrors, and plush books.
Bottle feeding VS Breast feeding
Breast feeding
Pros-
- Regularly available
- Free
- Creates strong mother-child bonds
- May be painful
- Mother may not produce enough milk
- Not always socially acceptable
Pros-
- You can control the amount of nutrients in the milk
- Father can help feed
- Socially acceptable
- Expensive
- May not create as strong of a bond
- You have to constantly clean the bottle
When should certain foods be introduced?
At birth, you should be feeding your baby milk through a bottle or through breastfeeding. At 2-4 weeks, you can give your baby orange juice. When your child has hit 4 weeks, you can give them fluoridated water. At 3 months, you can allow your baby to have cereal. From 3-4 months old, your infant can have mashed hard-cooked egg yolks. At 4 months, puréed fruits and vegetables can be introduced. Puréed meats can be given at 6 months old. By 7 months old, your child can have breads and pastas. Lastly, after 7 months you can start to slowly introduce strained and chopped adult foods.
Characteristics of a healthy child
- Sleeps soundly
- Wants to eat
- Height and weight gains steadily
- Teeth are in good condition
- Few aches and pains
- Enjoys individual and group activities
- Alert, active, cheerful, and curious
SIDS prevention and crib safety
To prevent SIDS, always place a baby to sleep on its stomach. Also, avoid products claiming they prevent SIDS. To ensure crib safety, use a firm mattress, keep the crib free of objects, use a fitted sheet, dress baby in sleep clothing, don't paint your crib, and make sure the slats are no more than 2 and 3/8 inches apart.